news/ spoliers for 12th- 19th August

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Taken from a wrestling newsletter from Colin Vassallo:

VENIS INJURED AFTER FREAKY ACCIDENT- A freaky accident is forcing Val Venis to be on the sidelines for nextcouple of weeks. A piece of weightlifting equipment fell on Venis headduring last weekend and the Big Valbowski required twenty stitches toclose the wound while he also hurt his neck. Despite the injury, Veniswas part of the Australian Global Warning Tour in a non-wrestlingcapacity. Maven was also part of the Tour despite his injured leg whichis not healing as expected.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Due to this post being over 500 features i will split it into 2 sections.
Here is part 1:

GLOBAL WARNING TOUR LIVE EVENT REPORT- W-O Newsletter reader Jeff Wynne attended the Smackdown! brand live event in Melbourne, Australia and filed in the following detailed report. - To kick things off, Stephanie McMahon came down to the ring, took the mic, and basically welcomed everyone and "guaranteed" us that we would see a "history making show". She then introduced Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Heyman took a mic and told the fans that the reason Hulk Hogan was not here tonight was because Brock had pretty much ended his career on Smackdown! This drew some heat from the crowd and started the first"You are a wanker!" chants from the crowd. For our American friends who may not know, a "wanker" is somebody who "jerks off" if you know what I mean.

The first match on the card was a "kiss my @ss" match Rikishi vs Rico.It didn't take too long at all for the "Rico's a wanker!" chants to start up. This was quite a good first up match, both wrestlers went through their usual routines. Before Rikishi slammed Rico down for the 3 count. After the match Rico tried to escape and not have to kiss Rikishi's @ss, but Rikishi just beat him up and gave him the stinkface. Rikishi then pulled two lucky kids out of the crowd to join him for his victory dance.

Next up was a tag match Reverend D-Von and Batista vs Mark Henry and Randy Orton. And you guessed it, the crowd was chanting "D-Von's awanker!" Apart from that there was very little crowd involvement in this match. Mark Henry made the powerslam on Batista for the pin and the win.

Cruiserweight title match: Jamie Noble with Nidia vs The Hurricane. This match had the first of many big pops for the night, this one was for The Hurricane. Both battled well throughout, but with a little help from Nidia's interference, Noble got the 3 with a Backslide pin.

Tag match: Billy and Chuck with Rico vs Hardcore Holly and ChavoGuerrero Jr with Maven. Unfortunately I can't tell you much at all aboutthis match because this was my 'go to the merchandise stand and try toget a t-shirt' match. Result was victory to Holly and Guerrero, with Holly getting the pin. And no t-shirt for me.

Raw vs Smackdown! match: Test vs Kurt Angle. Test grabbed the mic and said " When Christian, Lance and myself heard we were coming to Australia, we were so excited!"(cheer)"But when we got here we were so disappointed, because we found out that Australia is just like America.So I'd just like to say, just like America, AUSTRALIA SUCKS!!!"(huge boos, Test is a wanker!chants). Kurt then came to the ring, took the mike and said "Test, you have no manners! But I agree with you on onepoint. Australia is just like America, and when you insult Australia,you insult America, and when you insult America, you insult me. And youknow what Australian's do when you insult them?.......THIS!" Kurt then proceeded to lay the smackdown on Test, to huge cheers from the crowd.Test hit himself with his own chair shot that bounced off the ropes a la Kurt Angle, and Kurt covered for three.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Here's part 2!

GLOBAL WARNING TOUR LIVE EVENT REPORT- W-O

We then had a 20 minute intermission, time to get some food andbeverages.
After the intermission, Michael Cole entered the ring to announce that we had broken the attendance record for Colonial Stadium. 56,734 fans!

Tag title match: Lance Storm and Christian vs Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio Jr. Billy and Rey got a good pop when they came out. This to mewas one of the best matches of the night, with Mysterio Jr really showcasing his outstanding athleticism, but it was Lance Storm, with the help of the Tag Team Title belt on Kidman, who got the win.

Raw vs Smackdown! match Chris Jericho vs Edge. Y2J came down to the ring to a good reception, but it was a much louder pop for Edge, who came down to the ring recording the moment on a home video camera. Chris Jericho then took the mike, "In case you Australians don't know, I was the very first Undisputed champion, and I am the official King of the World!" The crowd responded with huge chants of "You are a wanker!"Jericho then said " I can't believe I came all the way down to this pisshole of a country, for a bunch of convicts to call me a wanker.......and I don't even know what a wanker is!!" He then approached Edge, and was trash talking him, Edge retaliated, and the bout was on. A top quality match with a lot of near falls keeping us on the Edge (no pun intended) of our seats, until Edge reversed the Walls of Jericho into a small package for the 3.

Bra and Panties match: Stacy Keibler vs Torrie Wilson. Val Venis was theguest ring announcer for this match and went through his usual "Hello Ladies" shtick before introducing the participants. This was a hilarious match, with Nidia interfering and losing her pants, and at one stage the referee lost his pants too, courtesy of Torrie Wilson! Eventually Torrie won the match.

Main Event Rock vs HHH vs Brock Lesnar. Rock and HHH both came out tomassive pops! The match was quite good, with all three wrestlers gettingto execute their finishing moves. For the record Rock won the match witha Rock Bottom and a pin on HHH. But it was after the match that the real fun started, Rock and HHH teamed up to beat up Lesnar, Paul Heyman thenran into the ring and attacked The Rock. Rock turned around and Heymanwas trapped between him and HHH. When Heyman realized he was trapped andLesnar was nowhere to come to his aid, Heyman fell to his knees andstarted pleading for mercy. Rock and HHH discussed for a little while what they were going to do to him, and then Rock extended his hand to Heyman for a handshake, Heyman was afraid to take Rocks hand, fearing anattack from Rock, but eventually he took Rock's hand for a very weak handshake, nothing happened. Heyman was now feeling confident and turnedand shook HHH's hand, HHH then pedigreed Heyman. Rock was about to leave, HHH called him back and asked for a People's Elbow on Heyman, the Rock obliged. HHH was about to leave, Rocked called him back and asked him to do a People's Elbow on Heyman, HHH obliged. HHH then left thering to huge cheers. This left the Rock in the ring, with microphone in hand: "Now the Rock has something very special to say, something he has never said before,but he's been dying to say it FINALLY THE ROCK HAS COME BACK TO MELBOURNE. The Rock wants to thank Australia for letting him do three things, number one, The Rock wants to thank Australia for giving him all of the Kangaroo steaks he can handle, number two, thanks for letting the Rock come down here to whip ALL THEIR CANDY @sses! And number three thanks for giving the Rock some of the best d**n Australian pie he has ever tasted!" Australia, in four words thank you very much, IF YA SMELLWHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING, goodnight!" And with that the Rock left the arena and the show ended.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Major Rumor: X-Pac Fired from WWE
Story By: Yuriy L.
August 12, 2002

Thanks to Ryan Clark for the following report:

The latest rumor making the rounds is X-Pac was released by World Wrestling Entertainment last week. We have yet to be able to confirm this story yet, but it is a strong rumor making rounds in many circles.

Whether or not he has been officially released, he is currently on suspension.

Apparently X-Pac burned a lot of bridges (if there is such a thing in the wrestling business) when he was really angering everyone from wrestlers to management during his run with the nWo as he had his real-life friend Kevin Nash as his political ally. When Nash went down, and X-Pac was hospitalized without giving WWE any explanation, it was most likely the straw that broke the camel's back.

Again, we have still not been able to confirm his release, but whether or not he has received his release yet, it is coming sooner than many think, if not already.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Goldberg Confirmed For In-Ring Return This Month
Story By: Fred Cook
August 12, 2002

Bill Goldberg has apparently been confirmed for two dates at the end of this month in Japan.

Goldberg's Japanese agent, Kazuyoshi Ishii, has gone on record saying Goldberg will work All Japan's August 30 and 31 shows at the Budokan Hall.

Keji Muto is saying Goldberg will likely wrestle Satoshi Kojima at the show in August 31 at the Budokan Hall, and quite possibly at the show the day before as well.

There is some talk of Goldberg working a Pride/K-1 show on August 28. That announcement has been made and they mentioned that they are still looking for an opponent for him, but he obviously won't be fighting on the show, but has agreed to appear.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

More On Goldberg's Return This Month
Story By: Matt Boone
August 13, 2002

Bill Goldberg is now confirmed to be working both shows for All Japan Pro Wrestling on the 30th and 31st of August. Below are the complete line-ups for both shows.

8/30 at Nippon Budokan:
-Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazushi Miyamoto
-Hideki Hosaka vs. Nobukazu Hirai vs. Ryuji Hijikata
-Yoji Anjo, Mitsuya Nagai & Shigeo Okumura vs. Arashi, Nobutaka Araya & Yuto Aijima
-Steve Williams, Mike Rotunda & Gran Naniwa vs. Johnny Smith, George Hines & Gran Hamada
-Masa Fuchi & Mr. Problem vs. Abdullah The Butcher & Kendo Ka Shin
-Kaz Hayashi vs. Jimmy Yang (#1 Contendership To Junior Light Heavyweight Title)
-Genichiro Tenryu vs. Hiroshi Hase
-Satoshi Kojima vs. Bill Goldberg
-Kronik (c) vs. Mike Barton & Jim Steele (Tag-Title Match)
-Keiji Muto vs. Taiyo Kea


8/31 at Nippon Budokan:
-Nobukazu Hirai vs. Ryuji Hijikata
-Masa Fuchi, Gran Hamada & Kazushi Miyamoto vs. Mike Rotunda, Johnny Smith & Gran Naniwa
-Masaaki Mochizuki , Dragon Kid & Jimmy Yang vs. Magnum TOKYO , Susumu Yokosuka & Darkness Dragon
-Tomoaki Honma & Yuto Aijima vs. Kronik
-Shigeo Okumura & Hideki Hosaka vs. Mike Barton & Jim Steele
-Yoji Anjo & Mitsuya Nagai vs. Abdullah The Butcher & Kendo Ka Shin
-Satoshi Kojima vs. Nobutaka Araya
-Taiyo Kea vs. Bill Goldberg
-Genichiro Tenryu, Steve Williams, Arashi, Koki Kitahara & Masao Orihara vs. Keiji Muto, Hiroshi Hase, Jinsei Shinzaki , George Hines & Kaz Hayashi

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

14th August-

Thanks to Mike Aldren for the following:

Breaking News: Stone Cold Steve Austin Arrested
Steve Austin has been arrested for spousal abuse.The grappler and his wife Debra had a heated argument on June15th, during which Austin allegedly assaulted her. A Judge signed off an arrest warrent Monday after reviewing a police incident report and a complaint filed by Debra - also aformer wrestling personality.The former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, whose real name is Steve Williams, was officially charged with an assault that caused bodily injury. Williams, 37, was booked and fingerprinted shortly before posting a $5,000 bond. According to The San Antonio Express Williams said that"Nothing happened" as he left the courthouse with two lawyers."I rather not comment right now," he added.The case has been assigned to Judge Bill White's County Court-at-Law 7, but an appearance date for the wrestler has not been set.In June, Williams was taken of WWE's active roster after he failed to show up as scheduled at two events.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Huge Update On Hulk Hogan/WWE Money Problems, more
Story By: Matt Boone
August 14, 2002

The following news is derived from Dave Scherer and 1wrestling.com:

Hulk Hogan was not at the SmackDown tapings last night, nor will he be part of WWE television for quite some time. As I mentioned last week, despite WWE claiming Hogan missed the Australian tour for back pains, the real reason centered around financial issues.

Hogan basically saw the show as something special, not a regular house show and considered it to be much like a pay-per view. He saw two 16 hour flights and show to work on the other side of the ocean, and felt he should receive a bigger payoff than usual as it is not part of his deal with the company to do things of that nature. WWE made an incredible amount of money with that show, it's hard to believe they would make such a big deal out of giving a 49 year old man a better payoff for being willing to fly around the world the day before his birthday.

Hulk Hogan was said to be even more upset with how Vince McMahon handled it by pretty much making Hogan out to be an old-beaten man to the press. He felt it was a way of McMahon running him down to the public because he didn't get his way.

Hogan has been a changed man, words you hear a lot these days with guys like Shawn Michaels. Hogan used to be considered a political player, much like HHH and Nash, in that he protected his spot on the company no matter what it took. Since returning to WWE he has been a great person to work with backstage, and more than willing to put over any young talent that is asked of him.

It appears as though the crushing at the hands of Brock Lesnar we saw a few weeks ago on SmackDown! will be the last time we see Hulk Hogan for several months. He will be back eventually, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be anytime in the near future.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

WWE Smackdown! 4; Shut Your Mouth: nWo/Nash, Game Rating, more
Story By: Daniel Edler
August 14, 2002

-- Thanks to reader FrogFan for helping with the following:

It has been much discussed for the last few weeks whether Nash and his running buddies will be in WWE Smackdown!: Shut Your Mouth, the 4th installment in the Smackdown gaming series, as the nWo or otherwise incarnated.

Well, with the aid of the following picture, it is now confirmed that they will appear as the nWo:

Click Here To View

-- And whilst on the same topic, the three WWE games on the Next Generation Consoles (Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft XBox, and Nintendo GameCube) were recently reviewed together by GamesMaster magazine in the United Kingdom, to find out which game was the true "King Of The Ring". This of course was a play on the WWE pay per view, King Of The Ring, with the article comparing each of the games to one another.

At the end of the 6 "rounds" (Create A Character, Graphics, Modes, Arenas, Rosters and Overall), it was judged that Smackdown! 4 is the best of the 3 games, due to it being the most updated at time of release and because of its superior modes.

WrestleMania X8 for the GameCube came second (with the best graphics), and WWE RAW on the XBox was described as "drab and lacking depth".

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

E! Online Article Reveals More Details on Austin's Situation
Story By: Yuriy L.
August 15, 2002

The following article is from E! Online:
by Josh Grossberg

Authorities say it was a rumble "Stone Cold" Steve Austin might soon regret.

The pro grappler, until recently one of the biggest stars of World Wrestling Entertainment (né WWF), has finally been pinned by San Antonio police for allegedly beating his wife.

The 37-year-old Austin--whose real name is Steve Williams--turned himself in Tuesday and was booked for misdemeanor assault stemming from a purportedly violent June altercation with his wife, Debra Williams.

He had been wanted ever since.

Cops were called to the couple's San Antonio home around 4 a.m. on June 15 after Williams phoned 911 saying Austin had attacked her, according to an affidavit obtained by the Smoking Gun Website. An officer arriving on the scene found Williams, herself a former wrestling personality, crying at the front of the house. The police report indicates she had several injuries, including "a large noticeable welt" below her right eye, as well as bruises to her back, hands and legs.

According to police, Stone Cold "hit her several times after an argument." The report also notes that Williams, 42, "was nervous" about notifying authorities, because she said her "husband is famous."

Austin apparently left the house before police arrived. The Texas native did call the house twice while Williams was being questioned, but he declined the officer's request that he return to the residence.

A judge subsequently issued a warrant for Austin's arrest that was outstanding until he surrendered on Tuesday.

Williams declined to comment on her husband's arrest. Austin, who was released after posting a $5,000 bond, had little to say about the incident.

"Nothing happened," he told the San Antonio Express-News, upon leaving the booking station with his attorney.

If convicted of the domestic assault charge, Austin could face a penalty of up to one year in jail and a possible fine of $4,000.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound bald-headed grappler tied the knot with Williams (the ex-wife of Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael) last year in Las Vegas. It was Austin's third marriage.

The domestic disturbance follows what's turning out to be a tough year for the performer.

Stone Cold rose to stardom in 1997, becoming a fan favorite on Monday Night Raw. Along with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Austin is credited with helping turn WWE into a major force in terms of TV ratings and merchandising. Lately, however, Austin has been butting heads with Vince McMahon & Co. outside the ring over the direction they were taking his character.

Last March, Austin failed to show up for WWE's pay-per-view Wrestlemania XVIII (editor's note: this last statement is incorrect. Austin did, in fact, wrestle at 'mania), and in June, he was AWOL from a scheduled Monday Night Raw telecast. At that point, WWE officials removed him from their active talent roster. His participation in future WWE matches remains doubtful.

With Austin gone from the WWE lineup and the Rock moving on to movies, officials say they're searching for up-and-comers--such as 6-foot-4, 305-pound Brock Lesnar--to headline matches on Monday Night Raw.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Kevin Nash Speaks Out On His Leg Rehab
Story By: Matt Boone
August 15, 2002

The following is from the official website of Kevin Nash, KevinNash.net:

The Road to Recovery following his 21st surgery starts and stops in Birmingham, Ala., or so it seems. Kevin Nash suffered a torn left quad muscle on the July 8th Raw. His surgery was performed the following day by Dr. James Andrews and Nash’s rehab is done under the watchful eye of doctors and physical trainers at the nearby Health South Rehabilitation Center. And he stays at a hotel about five minutes away.

In his first sit-down interview following the injury, Nash spoke with former WCW Magazine editor Ross Forman. Nash talked about his rehab, his return and Eric Bischoff, among other things.

Ross: You’ve had 21 surgeries, including 14 on your knees, but have said this was most painful. Rehab is nothing new to Kevin Nash.

Kevin: "My job now is to come back as soon as possible, but at 100 percent. They’re counting on me coming back and it’s my job to come back. There’s no way I’d let an injury stop my career. When Kevin Nash stops, it’s not going to because of an injury; I’ve come back from every injury in the past. Injuries are nothing but an inconvenience and time-consuming. Rehab is just a state of mind. You have to know in your heart and mind that you’re going to come back, and, stay positive.

"This is a real slow progress rehab because of the nature of the surgery; I know that."

Ross: It’s been rumored that you will retire and never wrestle again. Is that true?

Kevin: "Absolutely not. For all those people who believe I’m lazy, it’s just that, when you’ve had surgically-repaired limbs to the point where I have you’re not as mobile as you once were. How lazy am I? Just ask the guys at the Health South Rehab Center. Or ask the guys who train with me in the gym. I always wonder what kind of pro wrestler I would have been if I hadn’t had 13 knee operations before my first match."

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

WWE Superstar Involved In Serious Weight-Lifting Accident
Story By: Matt Boone
August 15, 2002

The following is an article from WWE.com:

The Big Valbowski was in Australia and at SmackDown! this week, but he didn't compete, much to his chagrin. The former Intercontinental Champion was the victim of a freak accident while working out on Aug. 2, just three days before the superstars left for the Global Warning Tour Melbourne.

As he exercised on a rowing machine, the frame in front of him, which held about 300 pounds of weights, tipped over and landed on top of his head.

"I remember opening my eyes and seeing four or five guys trying to pull it off me," Val told WWE.com. "So it put me out for a couple of seconds."

Val was immediately taken to a hospital, where he got three stitches inside his head and 14 more outside. He also said he probably had a mild, undiagnosed concussion. Potentially even worse, the weights compressed his neck, making him unable to move it. X-rays came back negative, but the muscle is still severely swollen, and Val is scheduled on Saturday to see Dr. Lloyd Youngblood in San Antonio to have an MRI exam. Lita, Scotty 2 Hotty, Chris Benoit and Rhyno had neck-fusion surgery performed by Youngblood; Val is crossing his fingers that his injury is not nearly that severe.

"I'm hoping it's just a sprain," Val said, adding that if that's the case, he'll only have to miss a few weeks of ring time.

The Big Valbowski just didn't look like the Big Valbowski this week. His was pale and sluggish as he walked around the KeyArena in Seattle on Tuesday. He was in a tremendous amount of physical pain, and he was also emotionally frustrated because he had been looking forward to skydiving and skiing in Australia, and "first and foremost, to competing."

In spite of the injury, Val still flew to Australia, and performed as the special referee for the Bra & Panties Match between Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. The 16-hour flight caused the right side of his face to swell dramatically, but he put ice on it overnight and was OK.

"The cut wasn't that painful," Val said. "It was more of an annoyance. It's the neck that's the painful thing. I'm used to getting cut.

"My body is still getting used to the trauma because (the accident) was pretty severe. I didn't know how severe it was until a few days later."

Val, who obviously takes tremendous pride in his physique, is physically unable to work out his shoulder area, and can only exercise other parts of his body lightly. As a precaution, he's been taken off the house-show circuit for the next few weeks, and it's unlikely he'll be at SmackDown! next week either.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

New SummerSlam Match, RAW News/Notes, Mick Foley, more
Story By: Matt Boone
August 17, 2002

The following news is derived from Dave Meltzer and WrestlingObserver.com:

Looks as though Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero will be announced for SummerSlam some time this week. Most likely next Thursday's SmackDown! as obviously both performers are part of the SmackDown! roster.

This Monday's RAW will have The Rock vs. Triple H as the main-event as announced during last week's RAW and again during commercial time on SmackDown! by Eric Bischoff. Also scheduled for this coming Monday's RAW, Chris Jericho's band "Fozzy" will be playing a song from their new album in the arena live. In addition to that, Shawn Michaels is expected to be part of the final RAW before SummerSlam after being absence in presence during last week's program.

The biggest fan of theme parks that I know, Mick Foley, will be doing an autograph signing at the Great Escape Theme Park in Lake George, New York this coming Monday.